Opening your page…
You can still use the navigation while it loads.
Opening your page…
You can still use the navigation while it loads.
A useful conversation can open a door. Find encouragement, exchange practical knowledge, and explore what you want to do next.
Prepare a conversationA place to begin
Start small and shape it together. A single conversation can be enough; you decide whether to continue.
Name something you want to learn, practice, or understand.
Invite someone to exchange perspectives. Agree on a time and a way to connect that works for both of you.
Try one useful idea, reflect on the conversation, or agree to meet again.
You might want a single conversation, a peer learning partner, a small circle, or an ongoing mentoring relationship. Different people can help with different questions. Begin with what would be useful to you.
Useful mentoring starts with curiosity. Talk about the support, communication, and opportunities that matter to the person. A familiar route to success may not fit everyone's experience, responsibilities, or circumstances.
Mentoring offers perspective and encouragement. Sponsorship adds active support, such as an introduction or putting someone's work forward for consideration. Both can help, while selection and advancement follow the relevant agency processes.
Agree on a manageable starting point. You can change the focus, seek another perspective, or finish when the relationship has served its purpose. No one is expected to teach colleagues about an entire community or disclose personal experiences.
Think of a willing colleague, ask the co-leads for help finding a connection, or bring a question to the Equity and Inclusion Operations Consultant. The conversation planner below can help you prepare.
A fictional example
A colleague wants to become more comfortable facilitating a conversation across teams. These replies offer different kinds of support.
| Part of the conversation | A possible reply |
|---|---|
| The colleague’s interest | “I would like to practice making room for different perspectives in a cross-team conversation.” |
| Mentoring: offer perspective | “We could review an agenda together and think about questions, written contributions, and ways to invite quieter voices.” |
| Sponsorship: explore an opportunity | “With your agreement, I could ask a host whether co-facilitating would be useful. We would still need to agree the role, preparation time, access needs, and feedback.” |
What would make the conversation useful, and what support would make a practice opportunity workable? An introduction does not promise selection or an assignment.
Start with what matters to you. This creates a conversation outline you can take to a willing colleague.
Research from science and education offers ideas to adapt to different workplaces.